The Islander Newspaper E-Edition: Wednesday, July 10, 2019 by The Anna Maria Islander Newspaper

Parading on AMI. 12

Tracking turtles. 22

Pier plank preview. 21 Astheworldterns check out Jawsome week. 6

AMITW July 7: 394 nests, 505 false crawls, 9 hatched nests and about 172 hatchlings to the sea.

JULY 10, 2019 FREE

VOLUME 27, NO. 37

Hepatitis A case prompts vaccinations. 3 Depositions conclude in BB Sunshine lawsuit. 4

Meetings

On the government calendar. 4

Op-Ed

The Islander editorial, reader opinion. 6

10-20 YEARS AGO

From the archives. 7

The Best News on Anna Maria Island Since 1992

www.islander.org

Fireworks, fun, games fill Fourth of July Right, Jack Elka captures fireworks on the beach on July 4. Below, Kain Galambos, left, 7, and Wesley Shorten, 6, slip and slide July 1 at the Center of Anna Maria Island’s Summer My Way camp. Islander Photo: Courtesy Ashley Friszman. For more fun and fireworks, see pages 12-13.

HB nixes splash pad. 8 HB city engineer updates capital improvement plans. 8

Save a date. 10

Happenings

Coquina Beach tree removal on temporary hold, outcry rises

Community activities, announcements. 11 Judge fines owner for at-risk vessel. 14

Streetlife. 15 AMI streetmap. 16-17

Gathering. 18

Obituaries. 18 FISH passes $119K budget. 19 HB website returns online. 20 First hatchlings emerge, some disorient, some die. 22 Scientists study belts, rings. 23 Soccer goes indoors. 24 Be prepared to fish. 25

ISL BIZ July brings heat, new faces. 26 CLASSIFIEDS. 28 NYT crossword. 31

Top Notch Week 3

‘The opportunist’

Cynthia Herrick, of Severn, Maryland, wins the third week of The Islander’s Top Notch contest with this photograph she took near Bean Point in Anna Maria. She titled the image, “The Opportunist,” Herrick won an Islander “More-thana-mullet wrapper” T-shirt and entry into the finals, which offer one grand prize of $100 from The Islander and an assortment of gift certificates from participating advertisers. The next deadline is noon, Friday, July 12. Photographers can find rules and deadlines online at islander.org.

By Ryan Paice Islander Reporter Time is running out to save 97 Australian pine trees marked for removal at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach. Manatee County commissioners voted 4-2 June 19 to remove and replace the trees at Coquina, a public beach the county manages and maintains, to make way for the first phase of a parking lot improvement project

at the south end and on an access road. With six trees chopped down already, the county is set to remove 103 Australian pine trees in total — more than 10% of the 991 Australian pines at Coquina — for phase one. Another 129 trees are planned for removal in phase two. For now, the 97 marked trees remain standing while the county works to provide the city of Bradenton Beach with its finalized landscape plans for replacement trees. City commissioners had directed building official Steve Gilbert to request a tree replacement plan from the county and issue a stop-work order on the project if the county failed to comply. City commissioners also ordered Gilbert to investigate whether the city could revise or revoke the construction permit for the project. Gilbert wrote in a July 3 email to The Islander that the county provided the city with a draft landscape plan June 28 showing the replacement of 103 Australian pines with 83 green buttonwood trees, 10 gumbo limbo trees and 10 shady lady black olive trees. The county plans to plant the trees in the grassy area near the playground and between the access road and parking. Bradenton Beach’s land development code requires the replacement trees, which can be any species but palms, have a minimum diameter of one-and-a-half-inch caliper and a 10-foot height when planted. PLEASE SEE TReeS, PAGE 2

2 n JuLy 10, 2019 n THE ISLANDER

TReeS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gilbert said the removal of the Australian pine trees remains on hold until the county provides final plans for replacement, as of July 3. However, he also said the city cannot revoke the construction permit for the project if the county adheres to the city’s LDC. “If any applicant is working on an approved permit, where they are in compliance with the land development code, the city has no right to revoke the permit,” Gilbert wrote in an email to The Islander. public response to removals Public opposition to the project has rung loud since the county’s plan surfaced in May, culminating in a petition with 1,010 signatures opposing the project. Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie delivered the petition to county commissioners before the vote in June. People also shared their frustrations on social media. Of the 277 comments on Facebook July 3 regarding The Islander’s story about the Coquina plan, only four comments supported taking out Australian pine trees. Many people commented “Save the trees!” while others referenced Joni Mitchell’s hit song “Big Yellow Taxi,” which begins with the lyrics, “They paved para-

Manatee County’s landscape plan for the replacement of 103 Australian pine trees at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach shows locations for replacement trees as dotted circles. The county plans to replace Australian pine trees with 83 green buttonwood trees, 10 gumbo limbo trees and 10 shady lady black olive trees in the grassy area near the playground. Islander Photo: Courtesy Bradenton Beach/Steve Gilbert dise/And put up a parking lot.” “Manatee County is ruining Manatee County!” Lori More people aired their opinions on The Islander’s Giudice Farnsworth, of Bradenton, wrote. June 26 Facebook post about the tree removals. “The county’s few voted for this! Not the voice of “Desecrating one of the most beautiful, natural the residents!” Cynthia Raines Langston, of Holmes beaches in Florida is a tragedy. For decades people have Beach, posted on Facebook. been quite content to park and use this natural wonder. Such a shame!” Linda MacKay wrote June 25 on The Islander’s Facebook page.

Floating dock update set for next BB-CRA meeting

Where is Bradenton Beach’s floating dock? City staff will update Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency members on the progress of the dock project at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 10, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N. Composite resin pilings for the project, which is replacing an old dock damaged by a storm and removed for public safety, were to be shipped from Virginia June 26-28. Work is estimated to take sixeight weeks once the materials arrive. The meeting also will provide members with updates on the CRA’s undergrounding utilities project, Emily Anne Smith’s vision plan for the district,

as well as an update on the removal of Australian pine trees from Coquina Beach. The meeting will be the second-to-last before new rules for CRAs are implemented statewide Oct. 1. State legislators passed a bill that requires ethics training for CRA members and the publication of certain digital boundary maps on the website, among other changes. City attorney Ricinda Perry did not respond to phone calls and voice messages left July 2 and July 3 asking about potential impacts of the state regulations for the city’s CRA. — Ryan Paice

Australian pine trees, cut to make way for Manatee County’s drainage improvement project at Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach, are left for removal June 20. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice

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Hepatitis A case confirmed in Holmes Beach

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Better safe than sorry. The Manatee County Health Department confirmed a case of hepatitis A in a food service worker at the Ugly Grouper restaurant, 5704 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, according to a July 3 news release. Hepatitis A is a form of hepatitis caused by an RNA virus, usually transmitted by contaminated food and water, with a shorter incubation and milder symptoms than infectious hepatitis B. The health department advised anyone who ate at the restaurant June 8-22 to consider getting a hep A vaccination. The release also stated that those who previously received the hep A vaccine did not need to take additional action. A statement July 5 from Thad Treadwell, Ugly Grouper general manager, said the restaurant employee had been treated and was in recovery. Treadwell wrote that the restaurant conducted a 12-hour deep-cleaning July 2. The release also stated â&#x20AC;&#x153;The health department confirmed our current practices meet all cleanliness and operational compliance standards,â&#x20AC;? and the entire restaurant staff was vacci-

The Manatee County Health Department bus was stationed July 5 at Anna Maria Elementary School, 4700 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, offering free hepatitis A vaccinations after testing determined a worker at a Holmes Beach restaurant had the illness. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

nated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The restaurant has been great,â&#x20AC;? Thomas Iovino, communications director for the health department, said July 5. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been really receptive and willing to work with us.â&#x20AC;? The health department set up a bus July 5 at Anna Maria Elementary School, 4700 Gulf Drive, Holmes

Beach, offering free hep A vaccinations. â&#x20AC;&#x153;While this has been a concern for the restaurant and the community, we believe this vaccination event, ultimately, is for the betterment of the entire island,â&#x20AC;? Iovino said. More information regarding hep A can be found online at floridahealth.gov.

Racing sea turtle on the move

A screenshot from the internet July 4 shows the path in the Gulf of Mexico taken by loggerhead Bortie Too. The turtle has traveled 104 miles since nesting June 21 on Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach. Bortie Too was satellite tagged and released by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and the Sea Turtle Conservancy, as part of the 12th annual Tour de Turtles. The tagged turtles compete in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;marathonâ&#x20AC;? starting Aug. 1 to see which turtle swims the farthest during a three-month survey. To track Bortie Too, visit conserveturtles.org/sea-turtle-trackingactive-sea-turtles/.

Bortie Too returns to the Gulf of Mexico June 21 fitted with a satellite tracker. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

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Depositions conclude in Bradenton Beach Sunshine suit

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter The discovery has ended. John Metz, former Bradenton Beach Planning and Zoning Board member, was deposed July 2 in a lawsuit filed in August 2017 by ex-Mayor Jack Clarke and joined by the city against six former city board members alleging violations of Florida’s Governmentin-the-Sunshine Law. Metz, the only defendant with an attorney, was the last of nearly 20 depositions taken since the suit’s inception. The lawsuit alleges violations of state statutes governing open meetings and public records laws by former board members Metz, Reed Mapes, Tjet Martin, Patty Shay, and Bill and wife Rose Vincent, who were then members of the now-defunct grass-roots group Concerned Neighbors of Bradenton Beach. When the lawsuit was initiated, city attorney Ricinda Perry claimed recordings of CNOBB meetings indicated the defendants discussed matters that could come before them as board members. Discussions allegedly were held July 25, 2017, at a CNOBB steering committee meeting, about a citizeninitiated referendum to prohibit parking garages in the city charter. The city claims parking garages were a reasonably foreseeable topic of discussion for the P&Z board and, at a June 20 pretrial hearing, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs’ summary judgment on the matter. However, Metz claimed July 2 that the Sunshine Law is a violation of his First Amendment right to free speech. The Sunshine Law states that members of the same government agency cannot discuss matters that might come before them outside of public meetings. This includes emails, text messages and phone calls. When asked by the city’s attorney, Robert Watrous, if he believes the Sunshine Law is unconstitutional, Metz responded, “Yes.” Watrous expanded his question to ask if Metz deemed the law “uniquely unconstitutional to you in this setting,” or, generally unconstitutional.

Attorney Tom Shults, left, and client John Metz, former Bradenton Beach Planning and Zoning Board member and defendant in a lawsuit filed by ex-Mayor Jack Clarke and the city against six former board members, prepare for a July 2 deposition at Vincent M. Lucentes & Associates Court Reporters in Bradenton. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

“To me, it’s based on the situation I’m in, given that the allegations that I understand in this lawsuit charge me with a civil penalty for petitioning the government, which is one of my fundamental rights to do, through the initiative process we were using.” Metz was referring to the defendants’ claim that mention of the parking garage only was made about a possible charter amendment to prohibit parking garages by CNOBB, but removed from the organization’s list of proposed amendments. CNOBB used the state referendum process to put three initiatives on the ballot in 2017 — and the electorate approved the charter amendments. Metz said July 2 that the statute does not require review of petitions by the P&Z board. Therefore, he says, the CNOBB/P&Z members did not violate the law at their July 25 meeting. “I think it’s extremely vague. It gives you no guidance into what you are supposed to do,” Metz said July 2 of the Sunshine Law. “I think we find ourselves in this quagmire because of that. There is no clear guidance where reasonable people can try to figure out

what they can and can’t do. And I believe that it certainly chills free speech and a right to assemble and petition.” Watrous asked Metz if he is aware that certain constitutional rights can be waived by voluntary agreement, including the oath Metz signed upon joining the P&Z board in 2014, which stipulates he would “support, protect and defend the Constitution and government of the United States and the state of Florida.” Metz responded, “I swore to defend the Constitution of the United States and I think that’s part of this case.” Watrous then asked, “And the state of Florida, too, correct?” to which Metz responded, “Yes.” “I believe in the Florida Constitution there is a right to petition your government,” Metz said. “Certainly, in the First Amendment there is a right to free association and there is a right to free speech. And I think all of those, under the facts of this particular case, are being infringed.” Discovery ended July 5. A trial is planned for the week of July 15.

Bradenton Beach Scenic WAVES seeks members to fill committee

By Ryan Paice Islander Reporter At least two Bradenton Beach residents with a love for community involvement are needed to serve. Four members of the city’s Scenic WAVES Committee discussed recruiting new members at a July 3 meeting in which the committee failed to meet a quorum of five. Member Gayden Shell was absent. Scenic WAVES is an advisory committee to the city commission. The committee was created to recommend the use of state and federal funding gained from designating State Road 789/Gulf Drive as a scenic highway, as well as preserve and enhance history and natural resources. The committee needs a five-member quorum to vote, so failing to meet the quorum leaves the committee incapable of fulfilling its yearly action plan. The committee currently consists of five members, but it hasn’t met a quorum in more than six months, according to Jennifer Hoffman, the former chair, who represents Keep Manatee Beautiful on Scenic Waves. Hoffman said the best course of action for the committee would be to vote to change its quorum requirements, but she added that the solution might not be as simple as getting all five members to attend. The committee’s bylaws require a minimum of seven members, which she interpreted to mean that the committee cannot officially exist and act without seven approved members, regardless of whether Scenic Waves has a five-member quorum. So until the committee finds two new members, Scenic WAVES can’t change its quorum and membership rules without dissolving and establishing a new committee with new bylaws, according to Hoffman.

Click! The Islander welcomes news of the milestones in readers’ lives. Send notices and photographs, along with a contact to news@islander.org.

“If anybody knows anyone in the city who would like to be a board member, we need them and that is the number one thing we need to be working on,” Hoffman said. The city commission appoints members to the committee. Hoffman said Gulf Drive could lose its scenic highway designation if the committee fails to hold an official meeting in six months.

Meetings

“We really need members on Scenic WAVES, and it’s open to anybody in the city,” City Commissioner Marilyn Maro, who serves as the s liaison to the committee, said in a July 3 interview with The Islander. “Please, come and register so we can have a good group, and so we don’t lose our place. People interested in applying for a position on the committee can call city hall at 941-778-1005 or visit city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.

July 23, 6 p.m., commission. July 25, 11:30 a.m., police retirement. Anna Maria City July 31, 10 a.m., special magistrate. July 11, 6 p.m., commission. Aug. 7, 6 p.m., planning commission. July 17, 5:30 p.m., special magistrate. CANAug. 27, 6 p.m., commission. CELED. Aug. 26-30, candidate qualifying. July 25, 6 p.m., commission. Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, July 31, 10 a.m., historic preservation board. 941-708-5800, holmesbeachfl.org. Aug. 8, 6 p.m., commission. Aug. 13, 4 p.m., planning and zoning. West Manatee Fire Rescue Aug. 19-30, candidate qualifying. None announced. Aug. 21, 5:30 p.m., special magistrate. WMFR administration building, 6510 Third Ave. Aug. 22, 6 p.m., commission. W., Bradenton, wmfr.org. Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, 941708-6130, cityofannamaria.com. Manatee County July 23, 9 a.m., county commission. Bradenton Beach July 30, 9 a.m., commission (budget). July 10, 9:30 a.m., CRA. Aug. 1, 9 a.m., commission (land use). July 11, 6 p.m., commission. Administration building, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., July 18, 11 a.m., pier team. Bradenton, 941-748-4501, mymanatee.org. July 18, noon, commission. July 23, 1 p.m., commission. of interest July 30, 10 a.m., CRA (budget). July 30, 4 p.m., Manatee County Council of Aug. 26-30, candidate qualifying. Governments, Bradenton Area Convention Center, Bradenton Beach City Hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., 1 Haben Blvd., Palmetto. 941-778-1005, cityofbradentonbeach.org. Aug. 20, 2 p.m., Coalition of Barrier Island Elected Officials, Anna Maria City Hall. Holmes Beach Compiled by Lisa Neff. July 10, 6 p.m., planning commission. Send notices to news@islander.org.

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Opinion

Our

Jawsome, awesome

One website touted Shark Week as “So good, you’ll scream.” It’s TV programming, but, yes, people scream at the thought of a shark surging up from the water, baring its teeth, plucking its prey from a cage. It’s much better than a strongman competition or old bands and even older music or a has-been celebrity hawking cliche jewelry. It’s real. Shark Week 2019 on the Discovery cable channel promises “a huge splash” with more than 20 hours of shark programs, premiering Sunday, July 28. It’s television’s “longest-running, and most anticipated summer event,” according to Discovery, “with bigger sharks and bigger bites.” They’re calling it “fincredible.” It’s the 30th anniversary for the week of terror, innovative shark science and underwater technology. It’s must-see TV. However, back in the days when “Jaws” the movie debuted, I was slow to catch up with the Oscar-winner. I didn’t really want to be scared off the beach or out of the water, so I avoided the movie. It wasn’t until a couple of years later — after seeing a few comedy skits on “Saturday Night Live” featuring the Land Shark (Chevy Chase) delivery of “Candy Grams” and other shark humor — that my kids and some friends gathered around the TV to watch the movie on the small screen. I chuckled when I heard the theme music at the opening of the movie. Duunnn dunnn... duuuunnnn duun... duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn dunnnn. Too much “SNL,” maybe. So fast forward to the beach. Months after seeing the movie, it was just a regular afternoon in May and I walked over to the beach and sat down, looking in both directions for signs of activity. There was no one in sight. I reasoned no one was there to hear me scream and I made a decision to get some sun on the shore. Independence Day II Just as I had feared, the movie caused me to avoid The Sandbar Restaurant and our team are so proud my usual swim and think about a bigger boat. Mind you, swimming with critters wasn’t my to be a part of the Anna Maria community that it hurts favorite thing, but I managed to ignore it all until the us deeply when we disappoint you. And we know that our fireworks show disapdays I saw “Jaws.” And “Jaws 2” and “Jaws 3.” Right now, the movies are cued on my DVR, ready pointed many July 4. It disappointed us as well. to roll (and ready for a laugh) on any given evening. So we made it right July 5 with what was, hopeIt’s jawsome! — Bonner Joy fully, our best fireworks show ever. For more than 30 years we have joyfully taken on the responsibility to provide a fireworks and music celebration for Independence Day. JULY 10, 2019 • Vol. 27, No. 37 On July 4, Creative Pyrotechnics was hired to pro▼ Publisher and Editor vide the fireworks and the staff to launch them. They Bonner Joy, news@islander.org ▼ Editorial outsourced this work and they messed up. Lisa Neff, editor, lisa@islander.org And just like us, they wanted to make it right. Sandy Ambrogi, sandy@islander.org Being in a small town can have benefits and we Joe Bird, editorial cartoonist are grateful to Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy, memKevin Cassidy, kevin@islander.org Cory Cole, cory@islander.org bers of the city commission, Manatee County SherJack Elka, jack@jackelka.com iff’s Office Sgt. Mike Jones and West Manatee Fire ChrisAnn Silver Esformes, chrisann@islander.org Inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski for pulling together Brook Morrison, brook@islander.org Ryan Paice, ryan@islander.org the authorization for this makeup show. Kathy Prucnell, kathyp@islander.org We train our team to admit when a mistake is made ▼ Contributors and do what they can to make it right. Jesse Brisson Karen Riley-Love This was an opportunity to demonstrate our values Capt. Danny Stasny, fish@islander.org on a large scale. ▼ Advertising Director We’re very grateful to everyone for pulling Toni Lyon, toni@islander.org ▼ Office Staff together to make this right for our guests, visitors and Lisa Williams, manager residents. Vicki McIntyre, office assistant, reader advocate The Chiles Group, Anna Maria info@, accounting@, classifieds@, subscriptions@islander.org Editor’s note: Sandbar Restaurant owner Ed ▼ Distribution Chiles provided this statement to The Islander July 5 Urbane Bouchet to announce a fireworks do-over at the restaurant, 100 Judy Loden Wasco Ross Roberts Spring Ave., Anna Maria.

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THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 7

Eyeing the texts

Library director Catherine Ramsey, along with Hazel Smith and Helen Swift, check out several books in the Island Branch Library in a storefront in the Island Shopping Center in Holmes Beach. The photo is not dated. Islander Photos: Courtesy Manatee County Public Library Digital Collection

Hitches in Holmes Beach

Cars, trucks, boat trailers and an RV park at the palm-lined boat ramp — now the Kingfish Boat Ramp — near the Anna Maria Island Bridge in Holmes Beach. The photo is dated Jan. 6, 1973.

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We mail The islander weekly for a nominal $54 per year. We also offer online e-edition subscriptions — a page-by-page view of the weekly news for only $36 per year, but you must sign up online. It’s the best way to stay in touch with what’s happening on Anna Maria Island. We bring you all the news about three city governments, community happenings, people features and special events … even real estate transactions … everything you need if your “heart is on Anna Maria Island.” If you don’t live here year-round, use this form to subscribe by (snail) mail for yourself or someone else. (Sorry, we do not suspend mail subscriptions — you get The Islander free while you’re here!)

10&20 years ago In the headlines: July 7, 1999

Anna Maria island’s post-disaster plan received a certificate of excellence from the National Association of Regional Councils during a regional planning meeting in Tampa. Holmes Beach contracted with a notification service to alert residents to an impending evacuation. The city planned to obtain phone numbers from the Manatee County Emergency Communications Center. Holmes Beach Police Chief Jay Romine received commission approval to close bars during an evacuation. “Last year, when Manatee County ordered the evacuation during Hurricane Georges, we ran into a problem,” Romine said, regarding partying instead of preparing for a disaster.

In the headlines: July 8, 2009

College-bound kids left the Anna Maria Island Privateers July 4 post-parade party at the Cafe on the Beach with some treasure — scholarships totaling $29,000. Manatee County administrator Ed Hunzeker agreed with island mayors to keep the trolley farefree and endorsed a “Save Our Trolley” campaign to raise money by selling ads on the buses. Organizers of the Anna Maria City Pier Centennial Celebration set a date for the big bash — March 23-27, 2011. Members of the pier centennial committee also discussed selling memorabilia to mark the occasion, including coffee mugs, flags, postage stamps, jewelry and T-shirts. — Lisa Neff The archives for The Islander are at ufdc.ufl. edu. Some archives also are online at islander. org.

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8 n JuLy 10, 2019 n THE ISLANDER

Holmes Beach commission nixes splash pad for city field

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter The idea was a community gathering spot where children could splash and cool off in the water. But the city commission agreed a splash pad is not a good fit for Holmes Beach. “We have a big splash pad out here,” Holmes Beach Commissioner Pat Morton said June 27, during a work session discussion on a splash pad for city field, adjacent to city hall. “It’s called the Gulf.” Commission Chair Jim Kihm opened discussion on the splash pad. He said Eran Wasserman, project manager with LTA engineers, the firm owned by city engineer Lynn Burnett, reached out to people responsible for splash pads at area parks to determine the viability of such an amenity in Holmes Beach. A splash pad is a recreation area, often in a public park, designed for water play. Kihm said he has been a fan of splash pads he has seen in cities around the country. He promoted a splash pad as a place where kids could play, that would be safer than pools and provide an alternative to the Gulf of Mexico when needed. The proposed splash pad would be 900 square feet — smaller than the splash pads at Riverwalk in downtown Bradenton and Lincoln Park in Palmetto — and cost $200,000-$250,000 including utilities, improvements, electricity, mechanical systems and training. He estimated annual operating costs at $16,000. Kihm suggested the Manatee County Tourist Development Council as a possible funding source. However, the majority of the commission concurred that the cost of the project outweighed the benefits. Commissioner Kim Rash said County Commissioner Carol Whitmore told him the splash pads at county parks are a “maintenance nightmare” and

Kids cool off July 1 at the splash pad at Riverwalk in downtown Bradenton. Holmes Beach considered a smaller version of the amenity for city field, but cut the idea at a June 27 work session. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

require on-site monitoring during operating hours. Sanitization of recirculated water also was a concern. Wasserman said the annual $16,000 operating costs includes compliance with health department requirements to keep the water sanitized. Concerning injuries, he said, “The analogy of a splash pad should be similar to a public pool.” He added that health problems associated with splash pads are more likely caused by germs than by injuries. Commissioner Carol Soustek asked about liability. City attorney Patricia Petruff said liability would be dependent on the city’s insurance and a concern is that a child could drown in a splash pad, even though the water is shallow. Also, she said the city must consider hiring staff to monitor the splash park. “I’m not comfortable talking much about liability because there are so many variables,” Petruff said. Morton mentioned the proximity of the dog park

and said someone would need to keep dogs from the splash pad. “There’s a lot of factors when you build a splash park,” he said. “It’s not generally closed up like a swimming pool. So, we’ve really got to watch what we’re doing when we say $16,000 is going to cover it.” Mayor Judy Titsworth said her concern is whether such an amenity is appropriate for a city, where many residents have pools and everyone has access to the Gulf of Mexico. “We are so close to the Gulf, the most beautiful, natural splash park that I’ve ever seen. And it gets used,” she said. She added that the area where the splash pad would be located is greenspace, which is at a premium in the city. The commission reached consensus to drop discussion of a splash pad for the city field renovation. The next commission meeting was to be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

City engineer updates capital improvement plans for Holmes Beach

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Holmes Beach is on track with plans for capital improvement projects for the 2018-19 fiscal year. City engineer Lynn Burnett delivered a report on capital improvement projects at the June 27 city commission meeting, including updates on Spring Lake, seawalls, the multiuse path, canal dredging, crosswalks and the renovation of the skate and dog parks at city field.

for seagrass permitting.

Spring Lake In April, city commissioners unanimously approved a motion to install an aeration system in Spring Lake, the brackish lake between 68th and 70th streets. The system will pump 7 million gallons of lakewater with oxygen, allowing the entire volume of water, from bottom to surface, to turn over two times in 24 hours. Burnett determined the aeration system would the best form of cleanup for 3 feet of muck accumulated at the lake-bottom. She said the system should be installed and operational by the end of the month. Costs for the aeration project are $7,650 and a required budget amendment was approved by the city commission.

Crosswalks A flashing crosswalk beacon was installed at the intersection of 58th Street and Gulf Drive, and Burnett said the next beacons would be placed at Guava Street and mid-block at 55th Street and Gulf Drive. Two more proposed locations include Gulf Drive at White Avenue and Palm Drive at 72nd Street. Burnett said the city has an approved contractor to install the four crossings, but must wait until Palm Drive between 66th and 85th streets is resurfaced so that striping is installed over the new asphalt. She said she planned to present the contract for resurfacing Palm Drive at the July 9 city commission meeting, and contracts for the sidewalk-flashing beacons will be presented to the commission in August.

Seawalls Burnett said city-owned seawalls, including those along Marina Drive at 67th Street and in the 5400 block of Marina Drive, fronting Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club, were assessed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, which agreed to include the seawall reconstruction as part of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program project through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She said she expects a notice of funding approval from FEMA in this month. She said the contracts for the seawalls will be presented to the commission in August or September.

Multiuse path Burnett said bike- and pedestrian-path improvements to Palm Drive, including drainage, are completed. She said she is continuing to work with public works to ensure the path is maintained and also considering aesthetics for the path, such as trees and plantings.

The large dog park at city field in Holmes Beach is a hangout for people and their pets. Expansion and enhancements for the park are planned for late summer. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

and behind 65th street are in process, but delayed. The channel dredging was planned to start in May or June, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Marine Fisheries staff are performing an inspection for potential seagrass mitigation requirements before the project can proceed. A field inspection is scheduled for the week of July 15. dredging Burnett said she anticipates August would be the Burnett said that at the request of the police and fire earliest she could provide the city with contracts for departments, plans to dredge the channel at 63rd Street the project and an additional $16,000 will be required

Skate park Burnett said Tito Porrata, representative of American Ramp Company, the contractor for the skate park, was to present the skate park design plans to the commission at its July 9 meeting. dog park Construction at the dog park, which will be installed in place of Birdie Tebbetts baseball field, will commence this month, according to Burnett. She said construction will begin with drainage improvements, followed by surfacing, amenities and fencing. A ribbon-cutting for the new large dog park is tentatively scheduled for December, pending feedback from the parks and beautification committee. The next city commission meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 9

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The Islander Calendar

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Throughout July, “Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue” display, Artists’ Guild Gallery, 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6694. Throughout July, Pat O’Neill exhibits “The Wonders of Florida,” Island Gallery West, 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6648. Second Fridays, downtown Holmes Beach art walk, various venues. Information: 941-778-6694, 941-778-6648.

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July 13-Aug. 25, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens “In Dialogue with Nature: Glass in the Gardens” show, 900 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota. Fee applies. Information: 941-366-5731. Second and fourth Thursdays, 2-4 p.m., Shanty Singers, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez. Information: 941-708-6120. First Fridays, 6-9 p.m., ArtWalk in the Village of the Arts, around 12th Street West and 12th Avenue West, Bradenton. Also, Saturdays after the ﬁrst Fridays. Information: villageofthearts@ gmail.com. Second and fourth Saturdays, 1-4 p.m., Music on the Porch, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez. Information: 941-708-6120. Through Sept. 8, “Interpolations: Artwork from the Ringling and Monda Collections,” John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Fee applies. Information: 941- 3595700. Through Sept. 29, “Natasha Mazurka: Order Systems,” John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Through Dec. 31, “Always Ready” U.S. Coast Guard exhibit, Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., Cortez. Information: 941-708-6120.

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ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND Thursday, July 11 10 a.m. — “Big Tiki and the Mai Tais” children’s performance, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941778-6341. Friday, July 12 10 a.m. — Forty Carrots parenting program, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. Saturday, July 13 10 a.m. — Origami club, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. 2 p.m. — Island family crafting, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. Tuesday, July 16 10 a.m. — Preschool storytime, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. ONGOING OFF AMI

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Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria. Information: 941-7086130. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:15 a.m.-10:30 a.m. pickleball, Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Fee applies. Information: 941-7781908. Thursdays, Saturdays and Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Legends Tennis, Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Fee applies. Information: 941-778-1908. Most Fridays, 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. (call for times) mahjong games, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., pickleball, Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Fee applies. Information: 941-778-1908. Mondays, AMI Dragon Boat Fun and Fitness Club, time depends on tides, 417 63rd St., Holmes Beach. Information: 941462-2626. Mondays-Saturdays, 7:30-10:30 a.m., Round Robin Tennis, Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Fee applies. Information: 941-778-1908. Most Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m., mahjong games and instruction for beginners, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. ONGOING OFF AMI July 12-14, noon, sixth annual Sarasota Lionﬁsh Derby and festival, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, City Island, Sarasota. Information: 941-388-4441. Various dates and times through Aug. 29, Bradenton Marauders baseball games, LECOM Park, 1611 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. Fee applies. Information: 941-747-3031.

CLUBS & COMMUNITY ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND Wednesday, July 10 Noon — Coloring Club, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. 6:30 p.m. — Island Time Book Club, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341. ONGOING ON AMI First Wednesdays, 10 a.m., Ask A Master Gardener in collaboration with the Manatee County Agriculture and Extension Service, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941778-6341. Thursdays, 9-11 a.m., veterans services assistance, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-7786341. Third Thursdays, 11:45 a.m., Successful Women Aligning Together meets, Bridge Street Bistro, 111 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach. Fee applies. Information: 941-345-5135. Second Fridays, 6 p.m., AMI Resident Community Connections, Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-1908. Tuesdays, noon, Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island, Bridge Street Bistro, 111 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach. Information: 941718-0291. Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m., Tech Help, Island Library, 5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-6341.

LOOKING AHEAD OFF AMI Through Aug. 3, “Summer Circus Spectacular” show, Historic Oct. 26, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s Oceanic EveAsolo Theater, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Fee applies. Inforning gala, Sarasota. mation: 941-351-9010. Through Sept. 30, “Hippos: A Truly Big Show” poster exhibit, GOOD TO KNOW John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road, SAVE THE DATES Sarasota. Fee applies. Information: 941- 359-5700. LOOKING AHEAD OFF AMI Oct. 19, Mote Marine Aquarium’s Fish, Fun and Fright night.

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Sept. 2, Labor Day. Sept. 8, Grandparents Day. Sept. 11, Patriot Day. Sept. 23, ﬁrst day of autumn. Sept. 29, Rosh Hashana.

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Send announcements for The Islander calendar to calendar@ Through July 31, youth indoor soccer, Center of Anna Maria islander.org. The deadline for listings is the Wednesday before the Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. Fee applies. Information: publication date. Please include the date, time, location and descrip941-778-1908. tion of the event, as well as a phone number for publication. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m., horseshoes pitched, Anna

Island happenings

THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 11

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Campers get crafty, visit aquarium

Summer campers make paper chains June 26 during arts and crafts at the Center of Anna Maria Island, Anna Maria. Camp continues weekly through Aug. 2. For more info, call the center at 941-778-1908. Islander Photo: Courtesy Ashley Friszman

Layla Quesenberry, 7, left, Madeline Kimmons, 6, Vivien Tupin, 6, Allie May, 10, Levi May, 8, and Daniel Holdren, 5, visit the Florida Aquarium in Tampa during a field trip June 21 with the Center of Anna Maria Island’s Summer My Way program. The program continues through Aug. 2 at the Center of Anna Maria Island. Islander Photos: Courtesy Ashley Friszman

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Campers and counselors practice soccer skills June 25 during the Center of Anna Maria Island’s Summer My Way program, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria.

Paradise Center plans museum trip

The Paradise Center added a field trip to an art museum to its July schedule. The trip to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art will be at 10 a.m. Monday, July 15. The Paradise group plans to dine at the Ringling’s Muse Restaurant and tour several exhibits. The center requires reservations by Wednesday, July 10. Attendees will be responsible for their lunch, but there will be no admission charge to tour the museum. The center also will host a workshop on using smartphones at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 24. The fee to attend is $10. Additionally, the center, 567 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, offers classes in yoga, tai chi, Zumba and Pilates. For more information, call the center at 941-3836493.

Art walk set for July 12

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island and Island Gallery West will hold receptions 5:307:30 p.m. Friday, July 12. The galleries decided to carry the winter-spring art walks into the summer. Both galleries will offer refreshments and the opportunity for visitors to meet with artists, including the artists displaying work in AGAMI’s window and IGW’s featured artist, Patrick O’Neill. The Artists’ Guild Gallery is at 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. IGW is at 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call the Guild Gallery at 941-778-6694.

Island Gallery

West Reception Friday, July 12, 5:30 –7:30

Please join us Friday for a wine & cheese reception titled,

The Wonders of Florida, featuring acrylic paintings by local artist Pat O’Neill, who is constantly inspired by the Florida landscapes and seascapes that surround him daily. Pat is known for capturing his love of nature, wildlife and local waters in and around beautiful Anna Maria Island.

islandgallerywest.com 941-778-6648 Mon-Sat 10-5

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Privateers’ July 4 parade shows patriotism, community spirit

A shipload of Anna Maria Island Privateers sail past curbside paradegoers and bead-hungry youngsters during the Privateers’ July 4 parade. Islander Photo: Nenita Gollamudi

Children catch beads July 4 during the Anna Maria Island Privateers July 4 Parade, which began at Coquina Beach and ended at City Pier Park in Anna Maria. Islander Photo: Courtesy Gini Walden Dilley

Anna Maria celebration

People enjoy hot dogs, chips and socializing courtesy of the city of Anna Maria July 4 at City Pier Park, at the corner of North Bay Boulevard and Pine Avenue. The city served 1,000 hot dogs at the Celebrate America! picnic. Islander Photo: Cory Cole Maria Mayor Dan Murphy and Deputy Patrick Manning of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, right, serve hot dogs, snacks and American flags to guests at the July 4 Celebrate America! picnic. Murphy saud ge helped serve 1,000 hot dogs at City Pier Park. Islander Photo: Cory Cole

Fawzy Makar of Bradenton Beach reaches to highfive paradegoers on his ride in the Privateers’ July 4 parade. Islander Photo: Nenita Gollamudi

People gather and picnic July 6 under the pavilion of the Cortez Cultural Center. Islander Photo: Ryan Paice

Cortez restaurant/fish house secures July 5 fireworks permit

By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter West Manatee Fire Rescue’s inspector dealt with a flurry of fireworks requests the week of July 4. First came a July 1 request by a Cortez businessman seeking a permit for fireworks to be launched from a barge in Sarasota Bay. Then July 5, following an abbreviated July 4 fireworks display at the Sandbar Restaurant, the Anna Maria restaurant put in a request for an improved show for that evening. Sandbar’s July 4 fireworks show had been the only display in the WMFR district until a garage-full of fireworks discovered in June in Cortez sent John Banyas searching for a permit. The fire district includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez and parts of west Bradenton. Banyas owns the home where the fireworks were stored. He also owns the Swordfish Grill, N.E. Taylor Boatworks, Cortez Bait & Seafood and Cortez Kitchen. He contacted WMFR inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski July 1, seeking a Manatee County permit.

Banyas’ overture to the county and WMFR came after a June 12 inspection where Kwiatkowski and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad discovered 697 cases of fireworks in the garage of a house owned by Banyas and rented to Swordfish manager Bob Slicker. According to Kwiatkowski, the fireworks — which can have a “devastating potential” if ignited inside a home — must be stored 1,000 feet from residences, churches and schools. WMFR signed off on Banyas’s Cortez Bait & Seafoodcounty permit for a July 5 fireworks show after checking out the pyrotechnic company. Sky Candy, of Riverview, was licensed to launch Banyas’ display July 5 — a day later than previous holiday displays in Cortez, according to Kwiatkowski. In previous years, the displays launched from a barge in Sarasota Bay near the Banyas’ businesses were performed without permits. The Islander asked Banyas June 28 in a text message about prior fireworks displays in Cortez — a message to which he did not respond.

The fireworks, if shot from navigable waters, also may have required a U.S. Coast Guard marine permit — requiring 135-day notice to the Coast Guard. According to Coast Guard-Cortez Chief Zachary Gray, some events require the permit, some do not and the St. Petersburg Sector handles such requests. Kwiatkowski said July 5 he was checking on the requirement. Texts and calls to Banyas and Slicker July 5 failed to produce a response at press time. Kwiatkowski, who monitors permitted displays, oversaw the July 4 display at the Sandbar Restaurant and acknowledged other numerous unpermitted and dangerous displays on the beach. He also is seeking an ordinance to allow fire officials enforcement authority over the unpermitted displays. Kwiatkowski thanked The Islander for “the heat” and Banyas for responding with a request for a permit. “It’s progress. They say these things happen one at time,” he said.

THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 13

July 4 at The sandbar: Before and during fireworks!

People gather at the beach before the Sandbar Restaurant’s fireworks show July 4 in Anna Maria. Owner Ed Chiles also presented a fireworks show July 5. He wrote on Instagram that Creative Pyrotechnics “messed up” and the “owner wants to make it right.” Islander Photo: Cory Cole

The Sandbar Restaurant’s July 4 fireworks show started at about 9 p.m. and ended at 9:10 p.m. Restaurant owner Ed Chiles corrected the abbreviated show — an error owing to the pyrotechnic contractor — by scheduling a second, bigger display July 5. On Instagram July 5, Chiles wrote, “When you mess up, make it right — with better fireworks!!” Islander Photo: Cory Cole

HB cleans up

Holmes Beach code enforcement supervisor JT Thomas, left, Leo Burke, of St. Louis and Holmes Beach, and Laurie Murdock, of Holmes Beach, take part July 5 in a beach cleanup after the July 4 festivities. The city sponsored the cleanup. “I was surprised to see it really wasn’t as bad as we expected,” Thomas said. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Natalie Brown, center, of Anna Maria, attended the July 4 parade and then stopped to socialize at Anna Maria’s Celebrate America! in City Pier Park. Islander Photo: Cory Cole

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“Images of America: Anna Maria Island,”

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Judge fines Bradenton Beach boat owner for at-risk vessel

By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter “I fought the law and the law won.” May Galloway summarized Jeremy Thomas’ day in court with the lyrics from “I Fought the Law,” by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets, in a July 3 text to The Islander. Twelfth Circuit Judge Doug Henderson fined Thomas $100 earlier in the day, finding “sufficient evidence” he violated state law aimed at curtailing derelict vessels. Bradenton Beach Police Officer Eric Hill ticketed Thomas in March for the 30-foot 1977 cabin cruiser he owns with having no effective means of propulsion. Thomas lives with Galloway in a community of about 40 boats anchored south of the Historic Bridge Street Pier, where he and his wife own five boats, one in which they live. The July decision came after Henderson postponed ruling in June, giving Thomas 30 days to make repairs and advising him to bring evidence of “the motor running” to the July hearing. At the hearing, Thomas told Henderson he made the repairs “a couple days ago” and offered the judge a video of the motor in operation. Henderson wasn’t interested in the video after Hill told the court that a running motor was not enough — the boat must move. Hill checked on the vessel June 25 and was told it was not operational. The officer returned July 2, but there was no one on the vessel. Henderson asked Thomas if the boat had moved. Thomas replied no, adding he would have moved it had he known it was necessary.

LPR camera catches marijuana smokers

After the hearing, Lt. John Cosby, who oversees the marine patrols in Bradenton Beach, was buoyed by the court victory. Enforcement is important from a legal, safety and cost standpoint, he said. “It’s the law,” Cosby said, adding taxpayers, through the West Coast Inland Navigational District and the county, foot the bill to remove abandoned boats. In a storm, if a boat can’t move, it can become flying debris, endanger lives and destroy property. “Plus, people are tired of looking at it and dealing with it,” Cosby said. Thomas’ no-means-of-propulsion citation was his second such offense. In September 2018, Hill cited Thomas for the same infraction on the same vessel. Similarly, 12th Circuit Judge Renee Inman adjudicated Thomas guilty of the boating infraction. She fined him $90 and, as of July 3, the fine was unpaid. According to online records, Thomas’ nonpayment was referred to the state financial recovery department, which threatened a driver’s license suspension and additional fines. Galloway and Thomas complain the BBPD and Hill have harassed them, woke them up in the early morning hours and run over their anchor lines while operating the city boat. BBPD officers deny Hill has harassed the couple. Cosby said the department has “an issue” with Galloway and Thomas because they continue to fail to comply with boating laws.

Bradenton Beach Police Detective Sgt. Lenard Diaz and Officer Eric Hill stand ready to testify July 3 in 12th Circuit Court while boat owner Jeremy Thomas speaks to the court. Thomas anchors in waters adjacent to the Historic Bridge Street Pier and was cited for anchoring a boat without propulsion. Islander Photos: Kathy Prucnell

Bradenton Beach man pleads no contest to DUI

The license plate recognition camera in Holmes Beach strikes again. Stopped for an expired vehicle tag, three of five occupants in a 2000 Toyota were cited for possessing marijuana in violation of a Holmes Beach ordinance. An officer pulled over the motorist and told the occupants he smelled marijuana. They admitted they smoked the drug in the vehicle. In a vehicle search, Holmes Beach police reported finding more than 20 grams of marijuana. Officers also found 3.4 grams of cocaine, which one of the occupants admitted to possessing, according to a HBPD police report. HBPD Sgt. Joel Pierce requested the state attorney review the case for a possible cocaine charge against one man. HBPD ticketed the female driver for the expired tag. — Kathy Prucnell

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A Bradenton Beach man arrested for driving $1,971, of which he paid $696 as of July 2. impaired pleaded no contest April 1 and was sentenced — Kathy Prucnell to 12 months of probation. Twelfth Circuit Judge Mark Singer found Robert A. Simpson, 51, guilty and ordered the probation, including a counterattack program, victim impact panel and medical evaluation and, if necessary, treatment. The judge also ordered Simpson’s vehicle Eyes on the road impounded for 10 days and driver’s license suspended The Florida Department of Transportation and for six months with a business purposes exception. Manatee County posted the following notices for A Manatee County sheriff’s deputy arrested Simpthe week of July 8: son for driving under the influence following a road Longboat pass Bridge: Major repairs on the sobriety test after police determined he caused a twoLongboat Pass Bridge on Gulf Drive between vehicle crash Jan. 2 in the 2200 block of Gulf Drive Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key take place in Bradenton Beach. through the summer. Overnight work will require Simpson exhibited signs of impairment but breath decreasing lane sizes, flagging operations and occatests measured no blood-alcohol content. Florida law sional lane closures. Work is to end in August. prohibits driving under the influence of drugs, not For the latest road watch information, go detected in the breath test, as well as drivers with online to fl511.com and swflroads.com or dial blood-alcohol content exceeding 0.08 percent. 511. Simpson was assessed court costs and fines of

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Illegal fireworks ﬂy, cops curb a few By Kathy Prucnell Islander Reporter “We interrupted their show, so to speak.” Sgt. Mike Jones, who heads the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria substation, said the July 4 holiday, including the parade, festival and fireworks “went exceptionally well,” but for one incident on the beach. Revelers without a permit “brought attention” to themselves at Coconut and Gulf Drive on the beach, Jones said, where MCSO deputies caught them shooting illegal fireworks in the dunes and ordered them to stop. They did and there was no seizure, he added. Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer also reported enforcement of illegal fireworks. He said police were alerted by a complaint and observed a group of celebrants launching fireworks too close to children. He said officers confiscated 12-13 boxes of fireworks. “We had a large crowd and everybody behaved,” Tokajer said, adding medical calls for heat exposure became a primary concern on the holiday as the heat index was predicted to reach 112 degrees. Illegal fireworks were launched up and down the beach in Bradenton Beach, but no one complained. BBPD enforces the fireworks laws, according to Detective Sgt. Lenard Diaz, only if calls about the pyrotechnic displays are dispatched to the officers. Diaz also said two kayakers were brought to safety by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescue boat. Their kayak capsized near the Longboat Pass Bridge and the men floated near the bridge pylons until FWC arrived, he added. BBPD, HBPD and MCSO reported thousands of visitors and no arrests July 4. West Manatee Fire Rescue inspector Rodney Kwiatkowski said there were “a few hiccups,” which delayed the start of the permitted fireworks display on the beach at the Sandbar Restaurant, 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria. He said a number of boats encroached on the setback required for the display — “coming too close to shore for our comfort.” A security line keeps people a distance of 420feet from the fireworks, Kwiatkowski said, adding the “sheriff got on its bullhorn” and instructed the boats to motor farther from shore. They did. And the show went on. “It was safe,” Kwiatkowski said, adding, “Was it long enough? You be the judge.” The Sandbar pyrotechnic display on the Fourth was abbreviated — a mistake by the fireworks company — but the company and Sandbar management arranged a bigger show for July 5 and WMFR, MCSO and the city permitted the followup show.

HBPD arrests speeder for DUI

Authorities say a driver in a black Volkswagen spun out of a Holmes Beach bar, sped south on Gulf Drive and nearly struck another vehicle head-on in Bradenton Beach. The driver, Erika Chetlain, 31, of Bradenton, was arrested at 11:52 p.m. June 19 for driving under the influence of alcohol and refusing to submit to a bloodalcohol test. According to an HBPD report, Officer Alan DeSantis observed the Volkswagen fishtail from the parking lot of the Anchor Inn, 3007 Gulf Drive, and followed the vehicle. He clocked the vehicle at 46 mph in a 35-mph zone. Chetlain Near the S-curve at 22nd Street in Bradenton Beach, DeSantis reported the Volkswagen crossed the center lines into oncoming traffic and caused the driver of a northbound vehicle to swerve to avoid a crash. The officer activated his emergency lights and stopped the motorist at 17th Street North in Bradenton Beach. DeSantis then called HBPD Officer Alexander Hurt to perform a DUI investigation. Bradenton Beach Police

Streetlife

Officer John Tsakiri assisted with traffic control. As he interviewed Chetlain, Hurt noted signs of impairment and asked her to take a field sobriety test. Chetlain agreed to the test but told Hurt she had a bad knee and other medical problems. So the officer requested she perform a modified test, which she did, according to the report. Hurt then called on emergency medical services, who cleared Chetlain for testing at the scene. Meanwhile, DeSantis inventoried items in the vehicle, which included numerous empty cans and bottles of alcohol. After the roadside test, Hurt took Chetlain to the HBPD station, where she refused to submit to a blood-alcohol breath test, and then to Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton due to her “high state of intoxication.” She refused treatment at the hospital, according to the report. Chetlain was transported to the Manatee County jail where she posted $620 bond and was released. Chetlain entered a not-guilty plea July 2 in 12th Circuit Court through attorney Brett McIntosh. Her next court date is at 8:25 a.m. Monday, July 22, at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Ave., W., Bradenton.

By Kathy Prucnell

Island police reports

Anna Maria June 22, Island Charms, 501 Pine Ave., shoplifting. A merchant reported a theft, providing a store video showing a woman stealing an item valued between $100 and $300 to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. June 23, Anna Maria Beach Cottages, 112 Oak Ave., theft. The rental company reported power tools and bicycles valued between $300 and $5,000 stolen from a storage shed. June 27, 100 block of Palm Drive, battery. Police arrested a woman after her husband reported she bit him as he slept. June 28, Bayfront Park, 316 N. Bay Blvd., trespass. An MCSO deputy observed people sitting on a comforter while on a foot patrol of the park. They were issued trespassing warnings and told not to return. MCSO polices Anna Maria. Bradenton Beach June 28, Bradenton Beach police station, 403 Highland Ave., Baker Act. A 32-year-old man went to the station naked and told police that he wanted to harm himself. An officer transported the man to a medical facility.

June 28, 300 block of Gulf Drive South, Marchman Act. Bradenton Beach police responded to a call about a 32-year-old woman passed out on the beach. The woman showed signs of substance abuse so an officer took her into custody under the act and transported her to a medical facility. BBPD polices Bradenton Beach. Cortez June 29, 4400 block of 124th Street Court West, domestic. An argument broke out when a woman threatened to leave a live-in boyfriend. The man told the woman he didn’t want her to take his truck. No injuries were reported. MCSO polices Cortez. Holmes Beach No reports. Holmes Beach Police Department polices Holmes Beach. Streetlife is based on incident reports and narratives from the BBPD, HBPD and MCSO. island watch: In an emergency, call 911. To report information, call the MCSO Anna Maria substation, 941-708-8899; Bradenton Beach police, 941-778-6311; or Holmes Beach police, 941-708-5804.

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Gathering

Gathering plans WORSHIP SERVICES

CrossPointe campers hit the surf at White Avenue

CrossPointe Fellowship invites kids to catch a summer wave and register for its Eternal Summer Surf Camp. Sessions take place 2-4 p.m. Sundays, July 14, July 21 and July 28, at White Avenue beach in Holmes Beach. The camp is for children of elementary school age. An announcement on the church’s website recommends early registration, but also states that applications and waivers are available on the beach. John Bowman founded the camp. For more information, call the church at 941-7780719.

Obituaries

Jake Allen ‘Cake’ Corby

Jake Allen “Cake” Corby, 29, of Bradenton, died unexpectedly June 29. To say he lived life to the fullest is an understatement. He was born on Aug. 25, 1989, on Anna Maria Island, and it was a rollercoaster ride from there. His passion was to become a pilot. He loved all sports and was a Corby great competitor in hockey, tennis, golf, you name it. He never met a stranger, whether old or young. His smile drew you in, and you knew you had a friend for life. There are not enough words to express the love he felt for everyone, nor how loved he is. He will be remembered by so many. A celebration of life will be at the Lost Kangaroo Pub, 406 12th St. W., Bradenton, at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 14. Memorial donations may be made to www. gofundme.com/f/we-still-have-kat-the-kids-and-acupcake. Mr. Corby is survived by the love of his life, Kat; his first child, “Cupcake,” who will bring his family great joy when he/she arrives in December; Cupcake’s sisters Nolyn and Lumyn; parents Rockey and Tammy;

Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. — St. Bernard Catholic Church, 248 S. Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-4769. Thursday 9:30 a.m. — Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, 4408 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-1638. Saturday 4 p.m. — St. Bernard, Holmes Beach. 5 p.m. — Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 6608 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-1813. Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. — Christ Church of Longboat Key Presbyterian (USA), 6400 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Information: 941-383-8833. 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. — Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-0414. 8:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. — Harvey Memorial Community Church, 300 Church Ave., Bradenton Beach. Information: 941-7791912. 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. — St. Bernard, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-4769. 9 a.m. — CrossPointe Fellowship, 8665 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Information: 941-778-0719. 9 a.m. — Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, Holmes Beach. 9:30 a.m. — Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Holmes Beach. 10 a.m. — Longboat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive,

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“Anna Maria Island,” a pictorial history book of the island by Bonner Joy, is available for $20 at The Islander office, 3218 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach. Joy is publisher of The Islander newspaper. She moved to AMI in 1975 and launched the newspaper in 1992.

Sunday 10 a.m. Worship Service

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Wednesday 7 a.m. — Men’s Bible study, CrossPointe, Holmes Beach. 8 a.m. — Men’s breakfast, Church of the Annunciation, Holmes Beach. 10 a.m. — Women’s Bible study, Christ Church of Longboat Key Presbyterian (USA), Longboat Key. 9 a.m. — Men’s Bible study, Christ Church of Longboat Key Presbyterian (USA), Longboat Key. 11:30 a.m. — Prayer partners, Gloria Dei, Holmes Beach. 7 p.m. — Bible study, Cortez Church of Christ, Cortez. Thursday 10 a.m. — Women’s Bible study, Gloria Dei, Holmes Beach. Saturday 3 p.m. — Confession, St. Bernard, Holmes Beach. Sunday 8:45 a.m. — Adult Sunday school, Roser Church, Anna Maria. 9 a.m. — Adult book study, Roser Church, Anna Maria. 10:15 a.m. — Fellowship, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Holmes Beach. 10 a.m. — Bible study, Cortez Church of Christ, Cortez. 10:30 a.m. — Life group, CrossPointe, Holmes Beach. Tuesday 9:30 a.m. — Women’s prayer, CrossPointe, Holmes Beach. Send listings to calendar@islander.org.

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ONGOING EVENTS

grandma Sheryl; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and had been Pete Reynard’s Restaurant. Mr. Easterling’s vision eventually was developed by Mainsail and now friends. operates as Waterline Marina and Beach Resort. Nicholas Vincent Easterling Mr. Easterling is survived by his children, Madison, Burns, Wyatt, Cooper and Lulu; the mother of his Nicholas Vincent Easterling, 65, died July 1. A native Floridian, he was born in Tampa to children, Michele Marcin; sister Moya Runyan; and Thomas and Carmen, grew up and became a legend brother, Tux. in Lakeland and then, as a young adult, found his true Larry James Kinder home on Anna Maria Island. Larry James Kinder, of Bradenton, died June 26. He thrived on hunting and fishing and was a gifted He was born May 11, 1957, to the late Larry J. and pilot who flew often. Mr. Easterling, in a word, was Rita (Goudreau). He was loved by his family and “authentic.” will be missed by many as a loyal Whether he was fly fishing friend. His passion was the water, for tarpon, hunting in Montana or sailing and boating and he loved sharputting together a business deal, ing this passion with others. “Nick was Nick.” A celebration of life and open He touched and impacted Easterling house will be 2-5 p.m. July 20 at the lives of many from all walks of Kinder Stoneybrook Golf Club and Grill, life. He was a gifted conversationalist and loyal friend 8000 Stone Harbour Loop, Bradenton. Memorial donawho took fashion advice from no one and never missed tions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at an opportunity for a good meal or taking the back roads www.woundedwarriorproject.org. Condolences may be made online at www.manasotamemorial.com to anywhere. Mr. Kinder is survived by his beloved wife, Terri, Most of all, he was a loving father who taught his children about gratitude, the great outdoors and the president of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce; brother Jim and wife Bev; nieces Alexa and importance of family. All those who were blessed enough to know him Ashley; sisters Pam and MaryLou Caldwell; brother from another mother Bob Pomfret and his family Vicki, will remember him as one of the greats. In Holmes Beach, he came to the forefront in 2002 Brittany and Robert; four stepchildren, Amber Tipton with plans to develop Tidemark Lodge, a full-service and Roland Tipton, Krystal Goudy, Glenn Goudy; as hotel and restaurant at the site of what for many years well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Founded 1956

simple cremations

Longboat Key. Information: 941-383-6491. 11 a.m. — Worship, Cortez Church of Christ, 12111 45th Ave. W., Cortez. Information: 941-216-6286.

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Growing in Jesus’ Name Sunday Service 10:00 AM

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THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 19

Kids, mentors dive into reading to stop the ‘summer slide’

By Sandy Ambrogi Islander Reporter You may take reading for granted. But for young students, reading can be difficult and daunting. Islanders John and Amanda Horne, owners of the Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurants, developed a program in 2017 to help children struggling with reading and to stop the “summer slide,” when kids lose the skills they learned during the school year. With some books and volunteer mentors, the Hornes established Dive Into Reading, assisted by Manatee County Schools District, the Manatee County Library System and the Suncoast Campaign for GradeLevel Reading. The campaign is a community effort to promote school readiness, combat summer learning loss and prevent chronic school absence. In its third year, Dive Into Reading hosted 364 children from 11 elementary schools and 360 mentors at four locations — the Anna Maria Oyster Bar Landside, the Ellenton AMOB, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in downtown Bradenton and Gecko’s on State Road 70. Mentors committed to volunteering 8:30-10:15 a.m. one day a week for four weeks. Kids and mentors first ate breakfast, where life skills, including table manners, were discussed. During the meal, a book was read aloud. Next, they paired off to read books selected for students’ abilities and to improve skills. In 2018, the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation presented its Restaurant Neighbor Award to the Dive Into Reading program during a cer-

Good deeds

Volunteer opportunities

Looking for volunteer opportunities on Anna Maria Island? These are ways to help: • Cortez Village Historical Society seeks volunteers to plant herbs and vegetables in the community garden at the Cortez Cultural Center, 11655 Cortez Road W., Cortez. Information: 941545-6726 or 941-538-0945. • Volunteers can provide supplies for Anna Maria Elementary. Supplies in demand include 24-count crayon boxes, pencils, wide-ruled notebook paper, colored pencils and washable markers. Information: 941-708-5525. • The Roser Food Bank needs donations of cash and nonperishable food. Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, administers the pantry, supported by All Island Denominations. Information: 941-778-0414. • Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, needs volunteers to staff its thrift shop. Information: 941-778-0414. • Moonracer Animal Rescue seeks volunteers to offer foster and forever homes for rescued animals. Information: 941-345-2441. • The Anna Maria Island Historical Society museum seeks docents, 402 Pine Ave., Anna Maria. Information: 941-778-0492. • The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce seeks volunteers to assist at the office and visitor information center. Information: 941-7781541.

Obituaries

At your service

Obituaries are offered as a community service in The Islander newspaper to residents and family of residents, both past and present, as well as to those people with ties to the island. Submit to news@islander.org. Islander obituaries are free, including a photo and posting on the website. Paid obituaries can be discussed with advertising consultant Toni Lyon. Call The Islander at 941-7787978.

Students and mentors stand outside an Anna Maria Oyster Bar restaurant, 6906 14th St. W., Bradenton, at the conclusion of the Dive Into Reading program. Islander Courtesy Photos: Amanda Horne

A mentor points emony in Washington, D. C. to an illustraDive Into Reading expanded this year to Sarasota tion while readCounty. ing to a child Amanda Horne wrote to The Islander about the program: “Awesome time had by all.… We had chil- during the Dive Into Reading dren crying on the last day they were so sad to not program. return next week. So sweet.” For more information about Dive Into Reading, go online to oysterbar.net/reading.

FISH passes $119K budget for 2019-20

By Ryan Paice Islander Reporter A financial plan for the 2019-20 fiscal year is in the books for the nonprofit Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage in Cortez. FISH board members voted July 1 to adopt a $119,000 budget, which will carry the spending plan for the new budget cycle that began June 1. Vice president Jane von Hahmann told The Islander July 2 that $17,000 is allotted for capital expenditures, such as improvements to the nonprofit’s properties. FISH formed in 1991 to protect the village of Cortez, which was settled by commercial fishers in the late 1800s, from encroaching development. The nonprofit owns or manages several properties in Cortez, including a 100-acre preserve, a boat shop, Fishermen’s Hall and the old Cortez fire station. The remaining $102,000 of the budget consists of operating expenses, including around $41,000 in mortgage payments for the preserve and Fishermen’s Hall, as well as taxes and flood insurance. Von Hahmann said FISH pays $26,000 in flood insurance for its properties — a high price due to age and low elevation. FISH revenue again will be largely dependent on the success of its annual fishing festival, which has been held every February for the past 37 years. Von Hahmann said festival revenue is difficult to project and varied between lows of $36,000 and highs of more than $100,000 in recent years. The nonprofit maintains a reserve of $50,000 to ensure expenses are covered each year if the festival fails to raise the money needed. However, von Hahmann said the reserve might need to be increased in future years to counter rising overhead costs. Other revenues for the nonprofit include $9,600 in rent for an apartment and a parsonage owned by FISH. The nonprofit also is focused on cutting costs. FISH rejected a round of bids, ranging from $2,000 to $6,000, for the removal of dead plant material left in the preserve by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after the taking of exotic trees on the property. Von Hahmann said FISH initially accepted an $800 bid in which the contractor proposed to use machinery to reduce the material to mulch, which then would be left in place. “Unfortunately, (the contractor) came out and fig-

ured out that the Fish Preserve was used at one point in time — many, many, many years ago — in the county as a dump,” von Hahmann said. She added that the contractor backed out of the job because material in the ground could damage its equipment. Instead of pursuing the next lowest bid at $2,000, FISH decided to leave the work to volunteers. Von Hahmann said the next cleanup will be in October or November, and another in April 2020. “We’re going to slow down on spending $2,000, especially after seeing our upcoming year’s budget,” von Hahmann said. FISH will meet next at 7 p.m. Aug. 5, at Fishermen’s Hall, 4515 124th St. W., Cortez.

Beyond the badge

Providing expertise June 29 for Matthew Kurutz’s Eagle Scout project at the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage preserve in Cortez is fellow scout Braden Craft, Matthew’s father, Steve Kurutz, and mentor Bill Craft. Matthew said the project is partially complete with another weekend of work in his plans. He and Troop 76 have been working to reconstruct the bridges and clear invasive species since June, after fundraising for several years for the preserve and scout camping. Islander Courtesy Photo: Matthew Kurutz

20 n JuLy 10, 2019 n THE ISLANDER

Refinements to VRO considered in Holmes Beach

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Holmes Beach is refining its VRO. At their June 27 work session, commissioners continued discussion on possible changes to the vacation rental certificate ordinance enacted in 2016. Commissioner Kim Rash asked that the ordinance be amended to state “excessive and boisterous noise” is not allowed at any time, not just during the quiet hours of 10 p.m.-7 a.m. The commission concurred. City attorney Patricia Petruff warned such additional language is unobjectionable, but noise is subjective, so inclusion in an ordinance does not mean the prohibition would hold up in court. “I’m just cautioning you that that language will not support anything other than education,” she said. Commissioners also agreed to a recommendation from staff to raise the initial fee and biennial renewals from $150 to $440 to cover program costs. Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said the

initial plan was to raise the fee to $600, but he reduced it to $440 after recalculating the fee. “We just want this VRC to be self-sustainable,” Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “I think it is perfect the way it is now.” Commissioner Rick Hurst agreed. “I think the number needs to be a defensible number,” Hurst said. Based on commission consensus, violations with a $150 fee for a first offense would include: • Advertising that violates city codes or ordinances; • Failing to list the amount of parking spaces at a rental property; • Neglecting to register new rental agents within 15 business days; • Failing to schedule an inspection within 30 days of application; • Failing to schedule a re-inspection within 30 days of an inspection failure. The city would give violators 48 hours to come

into compliance before issuance of a second citation for infractions. Additional violations within 12 months of the first violation would result in a $500 fine unless, after a hearing, the special magistrate imposed a different fine. Improper placement of a short-term rental sign on a property also would trigger a $150 fine, but the city allows 24 hours to comply before issuing a second violation. A $250 first violation would be issued for exceeding maximum occupancy limits, advertising without a valid vacation rental certificate and advertising that does not state a seven-day minimum. Renting a property without a valid vacation rental certificate would incur a $500 fine. The maximum fine for all violations would be an irreversible fine of $5,000. The commission will continue to consider revisions at future meetings before a public hearing and vote on an amended ordinance.

Holmes Beach website back online, changes to come

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter Holmes Beach has launched a limited version of its website. The city took down its website in March due to concerns about noncompliance with the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. ADA compliant websites provide audio versions of written materials, such as pdf files, for the visually impaired, and sites must be set up to avoid causing seizures for some viewers. In February, commissioners unanimously voted to authorize the mayor to sign a contract with Revize Software Systems of Troy, Michigan, to create an updated website. Since then, the city and Revize have been working on a placeholder site, which was up as of June 27, with a permanent website to come. The city of Bradenton Beach also took down its website in October 2018 due to noncompliance with the ADA and hired service provider CivicPlus to produce and launch a new ADA-compliant website for the city by June 17. However, as of July 5, the website remained unreleased. Bradenton Beach city clerk Terri Sanclemente, who is in charge of the project, did not respond to a

The Holmes Beach website, www.holmesbeachfl.org, has a new look, but needs changes before completion. Islander Photo: Screenshot phone call and voice message left July 5. At a June 27 Holmes Beach City Commission meeting, city clerk Stacey Johnston said at the Florida Association of City Clerks academy she attended the week prior, there was training on ADA compliance for website, including how to place documents on websites. She also said the city must ensure documents coming from other sources, including its contractors, are ADA compliant before becoming public record. She said none of the documents on the old website

were ADA compliant. So all of them must be rescanned and revised before being placed on the new site. Commission Chair Jim Kihm asked why meeting minutes and commission packets were not on the new site. “That’s part of what has to be ADA compliant,” Johnston responded. “Just remember, this is only our temporary site. The full site will eventually include all of that and have a portal for that purpose.” Kihm said he would provide a list of items he expects to see on the new site. “Everyone is going to have to just be patient,” Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “It’s a huge undertaking.” Ryan Paice contributed to this story.

IslanPlayers Drama CamP

Participants, dressed as dragons, hold their tails in last summer’s drama camp production. This year’s camp will take place July 22-Aug. 2. Islander File Photo

Drama camp returns to stage

The Island Players, in partnership with the Center of Anna Maria Island, is calling youngsters to become young stars at its Children’s Drama Camp. The camp for ages 6-13 will run July 22-Aug. 2, and Pamela Hopkins, of the Island Players, again will Holiday family tradition continues direct a cast of children in a performance at the island Islanders and longtime visitors gather July 4 for the 22nd annual Busciglio Family and Friends Pyramid Picture. In the 1950s, when they were in their teens, Dr. John and Diana Busciglio, seated, met on the beach theater, 10009 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, at the camp’s conclusion. near Pine Avenue in Anna Maria. Gathering their six children and growing family on Anna Maria Island Rehearsals will be at the center, 407 Magnolia became a summer tradition, as has assembling relatives on all sides of the family for the pyramid. Islander Ave., Anna Maria. Photo: Courtesy Dina Sheridan Cost for the camp is $200 for center family members and $240 for nonmembers. Milestones Grants from the Mary E. Parker and the Edward E. The Islander welcomes stories about islanders and island life, as well as photographs and notices and Lillian H. Bishop foundations support the camp. of milestones — weddings, births, anniversaries, travels, obituaries and other events. Submit announceFor more information or to register, call the center ments and photographs — along with contact information — to news@islander.org. at 941-778-1908.

THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 21

Anna Maria displays prototype of engraved pier plank fencing

By Cory Cole Islander Reporter Anna Maria City Pier stood bare the week of July 4, through work is still moving forward. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said work on the pier is ahead of schedule and he did not think the holiday observance would cause a delay. At this time, i+iconSOUTHEAST is working on another project, though Murphy said he expected the contractor back just after July 15 to continue work on the decking. Also, Miller Electric is expected to wire the electrical lines in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Frank Agnelli, of Mason Martin LLC, has been working with i+icon to transport construction materials for the restaurant and bait shop at the pier’s T-end. Murphy said a contract with Agnelli is being finalized. “It’s a matter of crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s,” Murphy said July 3 in an interview with The Islander. In a related project, public works employees built a prototype fence at City Pier Park, at the corner of Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard, in response

Leaping lubber invasion!

An eastern lubber grasshopper, common in the southeastern United States and native to Florida, consumes much more than grass. To the consternation of Anna Maria Island gardeners and landscapers, lubbers can occur in large enough numbers to damage ornamental plants and vegetables. The highest numbers of adults are seen in July and August, though populations cycle up and down, according to a fact sheet on the University of Florida entomology department’s website. The site said the best way to manage the species is capture and removal. Islander Photo: Vicki McIntyre

On Pine Avenue at City Pier Park, at the corner of Pine Avenue and North Bay Boulevard, stands a prototype fence made from the old, inscribed pier planks. Islander Photos: Cory Cole to people wanting to see something done with the engraved planks from the old pier structure destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Murphy said a proposal would be presented July 11 to the city commission. At that time, the commission may consider going forward with the fence or making changes. City pier funding at a glance The city has taken in about $4.1 million for the pier project. The Manatee County Tourist Development Council budgeted $1.5 million. About $11,000 was raised on GoFundMe by the Anna Maria Island Preservation Trust. The city allocated $304,000 in its fiscal 2018-19 budget. Manatee County committed $333,000. The city also received $750,000 in state historical grants and another $945,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Most recently, the city received approval for an additional $285,000 from the state.

Funding wrap up With all the expected money awarded, the funding will total $4.97 million. The current cost is $4.9 million. Demolition cost $732,000, and the construction cost is at about $4.2 million. Construction of the restaurant and bait shop will be funded from the current and the 2019-20 fiscal budgets, provided Mason Martin starts work before Oct. 1, Murphy said. Mason Martin bid $1,041,101 to build the restaurant and bait shop at on the T-end of the pier. This expense will bring the total cost of construction to about $5.9 million.

Funding to come The TDC recommended an added $435,000 for the pier, but the county commission has not yet approved the money. The added funds are expected to go before the board in early August. Murphy said $408,000 in city funding would be part of the 2019-20 fiscal budget if approved. Also, Murphy said July 3 that additional funding is expected to come from the current pier leaseholder. However, there is no dollar amount, as details of a The Anna Maria City Pier workers were on holiday future restaurant-bait shop lease and the leaseholders July 3, one day from July 4 and the long holiday weekend. contribution to the build-out are being worked out.

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Nesting news By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

Visiting artist adopts nest, walks with turtle watch

Artist James Simon creates public works of art that reflect community. And while he was in Manatee County, the Pittsburgh resident experienced various aspects of the community, including local conservation efforts. Realize Bradenton, a nonprofit promoting redevelopment and the arts in downtown Bradenton, hired Simon to create and install a mosaic mural Esformes on the exterior wall of a new parking garage on Third Avenue West between Main Street and Ninth Avenue in Bradenton. The garage also houses the Manatee Chamber of Commerceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new offices. The mural, titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Magic Riverâ&#x20AC;? and measuring 6 by 120 feet, depicts the Manatee River as a thread through scenes and wildlife in Bradenton. The piece, which cost $58,500 and took months to complete, was celebrated July 2 during a public ceremony at the mural. Simon also held two workshops where people helped create clay turtles and fish for the mural. So when the artist found out about Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, he was eager to join volunteers on a morning survey walk. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always loved turtles,â&#x20AC;? he said July 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When

Artist James Simon crouches in the sand July 1 to look at a flag designating loggerhead tracks on the beach in Bradenton Beach. Islander Photo: AMITW we came here and discovered this is turtle season, we contacted turtle watch and they were excited to have us join them.â&#x20AC;? During sea turtle nesting and hatchling season, May 1-Oct. 31, AMITW volunteers walk a designated 1-mile stretch of beach just after sunrise, looking for signs of nesting activity and, later in the season, tracks indicating hatchlings have emerged from nests. Simon and assistant Jenny Pearson met with island turtle watch volunteers Jenny Oelfke and son Konnor July 1 on the beach near 26th Street in Bradenton Beach. From there, they walked south to Cortez Road

and then back. Along the way, they spotted a loggerhead nest and five false crawls, which occur when a female turtle crawls ashore to nest, then abandons the attempt and returns to the water. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was so awesome to walk down the beach and see the huge tracks left by these magnificent creatures,â&#x20AC;? Simon said. In honor of the experience, he adopted the nest he helped locate. For 15 years, AMITW has had an â&#x20AC;&#x153;adopt-a-nestâ&#x20AC;? program that provides people with the opportunity to become involved by sponsoring a nest. For a tax-deductible donation of $100 to turtle watch, participants receive a plaque at the nesting site. They also receive a letter of appreciation, a certificate and data from their nest after it hatches. Funds raised from the program go to turtle-friendly lighting and public outreach. AMITW executive director Suzi Fox, who joined Simon and the Oelfkes on the survey walk, said she was â&#x20AC;&#x153;thrilledâ&#x20AC;? to meet James, as she has admired his work in Tampaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Perry Harvey Sr. Park. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had such a great day together,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had some great insight for some things we could do to help with our plaque production for our adopt-a-nest program.â&#x20AC;? Simon said the program is an â&#x20AC;&#x153;excellent example of a community coming together to protect what is important.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being directly involved with people helping the sea life and birds gave me a fantastic insight into conservation in Manatee County,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was really an honor to experience it firsthand. It gives you a whole other perspective on how a community can come together to protect wildlife on the beach.â&#x20AC;? For more information on the adopt-a-nest program, visit the AMITW website at www.islandturtlewatch. com and follow the link to adopt a nest.

First AMI loggerhead hatchlings emerge, some disorient, some die

By ChrisAnn Silver Esformes Islander Reporter The second part of sea turtle nesting season has begun. The first hatchlings on Anna Maria Island emerged early July 3 near the south end of the Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach. The nest also was the first documented on the island this season by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. It was spotted May 1, the official start of nesting season. After excavating the nest July 5 for data, AMITW determined about 50 hatchlings from the clutch of 76 eggs crawled to the water, while one egg was not hatched. Twenty-five hatchlings became disoriented and went toward lights shining on the beach from a residence near 37th Street in Holmes Beach. Tracks from the 25 disoriented hatchlings ended in the dunes and â&#x20AC;&#x153;were surrounded by loads of bird prints,â&#x20AC;? implying predation, according to AMITW executive director Suzi Fox. Upon emergence from a nest, a hatchling will use the reflection from the moon and stars on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico to make its way to the water. However, artificial light visible from the beach can disorient sea turtles from their instinctive trek to the water, leading to exhaustion, dehydration and death. Holmes Beach resident Vicki McIntyre, The Islanderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office assistant, spotted one of the dead

hatchlings that had disoriented July 3 and contacted TURTLE WATCH AMITW, which instructed her to bury the hatchling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all make it to the water, but it Tuesdays in July, 10 a.m., informational Turtle Talk, Croswas still sad to see it,â&#x20AC;? McIntyre said. sPointe Fellowship, 8605 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. InformaAMITW executive director Suzi Fox said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now tion: 941-778-5638. is the timeâ&#x20AC;? for people to make sure lights visible from the beach are turtle-friendly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With hatchlings starting to emerge, people need to Fox. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want the beach to be safe for people and check their lighting to make sure anything visible from turtles, which means installing lights that the turtles the beach is compliant with sea turtle regulations,â&#x20AC;? said canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see, but are bright enough to keep people safe.â&#x20AC;? People watch July 5 as turtle watch volunteer Barbara Riskay excavates a loggerhead nest with help from Dana Gnann, a volunteer with the Tybee Island (Georgia) Sea Turtle Project. Islander Photo: ChrisAnn Silver Esformes

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A dead loggerhead hatchling on the beach July 3 near 37th Street in Holmes Beach was among the first hatchlings to emerge for the 2019 nesting season. The turtle was distracted from its trek to the Gulf of Mexico due to visible lighting at a nearby beachfront residence. Islander Photo: Vicki McIntyre

THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 23

By Lisa Neff

Scientists study belts, rings

The study probably caught my attention because the night before I’d read, “And I only am escaped alone to tell thee” and closed the book on “Moby Dick.” I’d finished reading Herman Melville’s novel, but my thoughts remained on Ahab, the great white whale, the high seas and shipwrecks. So when I saw online the headline “Shipwrecks, tree rings reveal Caribbean hurricanes in buccaneer era,” I clicked the hyperlink, which took me to a study by the Laboratory of TreeRing Research at the University of Neff Arizona. The lab uses tree rings to study climate, forest ecosystems and their interactions. One lab-led study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, became the first research to chart hurricane activity using shipwrecks and tree rings. Hurricanes retard the growth of trees, a development reflected in tree rings. The scientists examined Spanish ship logs, the books “Shipwrecks in the Americas” and “Shipwrecks of Florida: A comprehensive listing,” along with Flor-

Resources for turtle nesting season

To report unattended beach gear or large holes on the beach, call code enforcement: • Anna Maria, 941-708-6130, ext. 139 or 129. • Bradenton Beach, 941-778-1005, ext. 280. • Holmes Beach, 941-708-5800, ext. 247. To read about turtle-friendly lighting, visit: • myfwc.com/seaturtle and click on “Sea Turtles and Lights.” To report sick, injured, entangled or dead sea turtles, call: • FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline, 1-888-4043922, #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone or text Tip@ MyFWC.com. To reach Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, contact executive director Suzi Fox: • 941-778-5638 or suzifox@gmail.com. To learn more about sea turtles and conservation around the world, visit Sea Turtle Conservancy: conserveturtles.org.

Scientists compare tree rings in slash pines to shipwreck accounts to assemble hurricane history over past centuries. Islander Courtesy Photo: Grant Harley ida Keys tree records to identify a 75% reduction in the number of hurricanes during the period 1645-1715, a time of cooler temperatures and little sunspot activity in the Northern Hemisphere known as the Maunder Minimum. The researchers said their work could lead to better predictions of hurricanes. Consider that the National Hurricane Center’s records of Caribbean storms dates back to 1850, but the tree-ring research provides annual records of hurricanes going back to 1500. In a summary, the scientists wrote about the significance of their work: “Twenty-first century North Atlantic tropical cyclone projections are crucial for the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies

but they are subject to large uncertainties. … We used a combination of tree-ring data and historical shipwreck data to show that tropical cyclone activity was distinctly depressed during the Maunder Minimum.” Still browsing scientific reports, I read one by researchers at the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg. Scientists at the USF College of Marine Science used NASA satellite observations to identify “the largest bloom of macroalgae in the world” — the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. The researchers, in a paper published July 4 in the journal Science, confirmed a belt of brown macroalgae called sargassum forms its shape in response to ocean currents and can grow so large it blankets the surface of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from the west coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. In 2018, more than 20 million tons of sargassum floated in surface waters, according to a news release from USF, which said some of the sargassum “wreaked havoc on shorelines lining the tropical Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and east coast of Florida.” The scientists suggested the belt forms seasonally in response to two key nutrient inputs — one natural and one human-derived. In the winter, upwelling of the West African coast delivers nutrients from deep waters to the ocean surface, where sargassum grows. In the spring and summer, Amazon River discharge adds nutrients to the ocean — and discharged nutrients have increased due to deforestation and fertilizer use. Dr. Chuanmin Hu, the USF researcher who led the study, said more research is needed. But, he added, “Based on the last 20 years of data, I can say the belt is very likely to be a new normal.”

Mote coordinates lionfish derby, tasting

Divers will compete to catch lionfish July 12-14 in the Sarasota Lionfish Derby. And chefs will compete to prepare the tastiest dish from the catches in the tournament, hosted by Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, City Island, Sarasota. Mote is registering teams of four divers to hunt lionfish, an invasive species in Florida waters. Mote also has lined up restaurant chefs for the tasting to follow the derby, including chefs from Modern Events, Michael’s on East, the Deep Sea Diner, Mattison’s and Indigenous. The weigh-in and tasting will be at noon Sunday, July 14, at Mote. There is no fee to observe the weigh-in. Tasting tickets are $25. For reservations, go online to www.mote.org. For more information, call Mote at 941-3884441.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considers the lionfish an invasive species in state waters. The Sarasota Lionfish Derby takes place July 12-14 at Mote Marine. Islander Photo: Courtesy NOAA

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24 n JuLy 10, 2019 n THE ISLANDER

Soccer goes indoors, golf on the links, horseshoes in AM

By Kevin P. Cassidy Islander Reporter Week two of the summer indoor soccer season for kids at the Center of Anna Maria Island is in the books and the action is fast, furious and most importantly — cool. Played in the air-conditioned comfort of the center gym, the indoor game is a fast-paced and high-scoring alternative to the outdoor sport. The intermediate league for playCassidy ers age 5-9 has five teams, with Ugly Grouper leading the pack on a 2-0 record, closely followed by Moss Builders at 1-0. Island Vacation Properties holds down third place with a 1-1 record, while Solid Rock Construction sits in fourth place at 0-1, followed by Cloud Pest Control at 0-2. Ugly Grouper flexed its fins in the opening match July 2, rolling to a 7-3 victory over Cloud Pest Control behind two goals each from Brady Thompson and Jackson Rosas. Jack and Jesse Zaccagnino each added a goal for Ugly Grouper in the victory. Cyrus Ryan scored two goals and Cala Ryan added one to lead Cloud Pest Control in the loss. The second intermediate match of the evening saw Island Vacation Properties cruise to a 5-1 victory over Solid Rock Construction behind a hat trick from Camden Rudacille and two goals from Clancy Cusack. Isabella Roadman notched the lone goal for Solid Rock in the loss. The division for players 10-14 has some tight standings in the early going of the season. Ugly Grouper and AMI Locals are both 1-1-1, just ahead of G&G

Yardscaping, which sits at 1-1. In the first 10-14 match July 2, Ugly Grouper and AMI Locals battled to a 6-6 tie. Will Wright scored a pair of goals to lead Ugly Grouper, which also received single goals in the tie from Angelina Albrecht, Nixon Conner, Jackson Long and Jayden Sparks. Carsyn Deligans scored a hat trick to lead AMI Locals, which also received two goals in the tie from Fox Dalton and a goal from Savannah Coba. The second match saw AMI Locals escape with a 6-5 victory over G&G Yardscaping behind another hat trick from Deligans. Dalton, Mary Harrison and Coba each notched a goal to complete the scoring in the match. Ryan Joseph scored all five goals to lead G&G in the loss. The indoor action continues July 9 with the kickoff set for 5:45 p.m.

Key Royale golf news The annual Fourth of July scramble highlighted the past week at Key Royale Golf Club in Holmes Beach. Thirty-two women and men participated in the event, which was played using a team handicap. The team of Laurie Hicks, Marty Hicks, Debi Wohlers and Lori Waggoner combined on a 23.6 to grab clubhouse bragging rights for the day. One stroke behind in second place was the team of John Kolojeski, Jerry Martinek, Mike Clements and Anne Klein with a combined score of 24.6. Closest to the pin on the eighth hole was won by Barbara Krueger, whose shot settled on the green 24 feet from the cup.

Herb Clauhs stuck one to within 4 feet, 9 inches of the cup to win the men’s closest to the pin contest. Regular golf action teed off with the men’s modified-Stableford match July 1. Hoyt Miller carded a plus-5 to capture first place by one point over secondplace finisher Jon Holcomb, who finished at plus-4. The women were on the course July 2 for a ninehole, individual-low-net match in two flights. Ellen Boin fired an even-par 32 to take first place in Flight A with Jana Samuels taking second on a 2-over-par 34. Janet Razze fired a 1-under-par 31 for the low round of the day and first place in Flight B. Penny Williams and Terry Westby tied for second at 2-overpar 24, while Sue Wheeler and Merry Turner tied for third with matching 3-over-par 35s. Horseshoe news Two players walked their way to the knockout stage and battled for the day’s bragging rights during July 3 horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall horseshoe pits. Tim Sofran prevailed in the “mano-e-mano” matchup with Gary Howcroft by a 23-17 score to earn a walk to the winner’s circle. Howcroft found himself flying solo during the July 6 games and redeemed himself by posting the lone 3-0 pool-play record for the day’s outright title. Play gets underway at 9 a.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.

Sport fishing

Sportfishers applaud the conservation effort to restore the snook fishery in the Gulf waters, including catch-andrelease redfish and spotted seatrout, a trio of species impacted by the 2018-19 red tide outbreak in Manatee County waters as well as other counties on the Gulf coast.

Fishing with his grandfather aboard the vessel Jude’s Law on the Gulf, Hunter Ferrer landed this 60-pound wahoo by trolling.

Fishing tip! If you hook a bird: Reel, remove and release!

A triple play on snook inshore June 24 set grandfather Michel, son Eric and grandson Aidan Prosperi — all visiting from Colorado — on snook at nearly the same time. The fish were released after a quick trophy photo. The Prosperis were guided by Capt. Warren Girle.

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0.6 0.3 0.1 -0.1 -0.2 -0.2 -0.2 Full -0.1

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$YDLODEOH $We AMI CENTRE, 3218 E. BAY DRIVE, HOLMES BEACH 941 778-7978 • WWW.ISLANDER.ORG

THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 25

Be in the know if you’re going to be on the water

By Capt. Danny Stasny Islander Reporter Fishing around Anna Maria Island is producing a variety of action for those willing to brave heat and thunder storms. Inshore fishing in Tampa Bay is host to all sorts of species, depending of your preference. Fishing wrecks, rock piles and reefs is producing mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel, as well as a Stasny few gag grouper. Moving to shallow water is good, especially for catch-and-release snook and spotted seatrout. Moving offshore to around 120 feet of water, the American red snapper bite is in full swing. Also while offshore, deep-water anglers are catching gag and red grouper, as well as yellowtail and mangrove snapper. Fishing along the beaches for tarpon is producing a few hookups, although your best bet is fishing the evening outgoing tides in the passes at Bean Point and Egmont Key. Now, in reference to the heat, I cannot stress enough the importance of being prepared for a day of fishing. With some days having a heat index exceeding 110 degrees, you need to make darn sure you’re ready for the high temps and the sun’s rays. Using an ample amount of sunscreen is a wise choice. I use 100 SPF to block the sun’s harmful rays and reapply often. I also wear a hat, polarized glasses and a long-sleeve shirt to shield me from the sun. Next, you want to make sure you have an ample supply of water and stay hydrated. There’s nothing worse than getting dehydrated while out in the sun all day. And staying hydrated is not the easiest thing to do, since most other beverages don’t do the job. Lastly, try to plan your day accordingly. If you plan on being out all day, factor in a break so you can get out of the sun and cool down. You’ll be amazed at what an hour in the shade with a cool glass of water will do to keep your motor in tune. Ultimately, the key is to stay hydrated and enjoy fishing without heat stroke or severe sunburn. On my Southernaire charters, I’m choosing to beat the heat by taking on morning charters. We’ve been leaving the dock at 7 a.m. and returning at 11 a.m., which is just enough of a dose of heat. Targeting catchand-release snook and trout is producing consistent results and I’m starting to see a few keeper mangrove snapper in the mix while targeting the sport fish. Moving out to the wrecks and reefs in Tampa Bay, I’m finding mackerel and mangrove snapper, as well as some blacktip sharks and a few gag grouper. Capt. Warren Girle is stirring up a handful of tarpon for his clients along the beaches and passes of Anna Maria Island and Egmont Key. Casting live

size gag grouper in Tampa Bay. Using live bait — pinfish or large shiners — around wrecks, rocks and channel edges is yielding action. Trolling large-lipped plugs is working in the same areas. When live bait fishing, Lowman’s clients are encountering macks, snapper and cobia. On the flats, catch-and-release snook and trout are cooperating despite warm water temps. Fishing close to the mangroves is producing the snook, while casting bait to deeper grass flats in 5-6 feet of water is good for the trout. Capt. Jason Stock is finding a good red snapper bite for his anglers. Fishing ledges and hard bottom offshore is resulting in limits of these abundant fish, and while targeting the snapper, he’s hooking up clients with red and gag grouper. In slightly shallower water, Stock is targeting yellowtail and mangrove snapper on light tackle. Placing small shiners on a jig head and drifting them behind the boat is a good technique. Stock warns that you have to make haste when reeling up the fish, as many goliath grouper, sharks and barracuda are present, ready to take your catch. Lastly, Stock is putting clients on tarpon on the evening tides. Capt. David White, of Anna Maria Charters, is spending his days offshore patrolling for American Amanda Rodrigue, of Marion, Illinois, shows off a red snapper. By using an assortment of baits — live pair of American red snapper at the 63rd Street boat pinfish, shiners, frozen sardines and fresh-cut pieces ramp in Holmes Beach. She caught the reds July 2 of mullet — White is putting his clients on fish for the on pinfish in the Gulf about 45 miles northwest of cooler. Other species being caught offshore include red Bean Point with Capt. David White of Anna Maria grouper, yellowtail, mangrove and lane snapper. Charters. Moving inshore, White is hooking anglers up with catch-and-release snook along the mangroves. crabs to schooling fish is getting the action. Fishing In Tampa Bay, sharks, Spanish mackerel and mangrove early morning, before sun up, and late evening on the snapper are adding to the catch. outgoing tides is getting results. Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to Girle is routinely putting clients on macks and fish@islander.org. mangrove snapper. Using hatch bait or small shiners is working best for both. Lastly, targeting catch-and-release snook on the flats is productive for anglers in tune with conservation. Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing some hefty catch-and-release snook reeled up to the deck — and released. Pier fishers are finding success on the linesiders using live baits and artificials. Live baits, such as pinfish, ladyfish or mojarras, work well, while artificials, such as the DOA Cal jig or the Yo-Zuri crystal minnow, will attract a bite. With the arrival of hatch bait, pier fishers are enjoying action on migratory predators — Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and ladyfish. Other species, mangrove snapper and flounder, also are coming to the hook at the northRoger Danziger shows off a 27-pound blackfin tuna ernmost pier on AMI. Capt. Aaron Lowman is finding luck with keeper- caught July 1 42 miles off of Holmes Beach

CAPT. AARON LOWMAN

Fishing Charters Capt. Warren Girle

'ULF "AY &ISHINGs4ARPON 53'! ,ICENSED AND )NSURED

INSHORE RE Redﬁsh Snook

O OFFSHORE SSnapper G Grouper

941.465.8932 AnnaMariaFishing Guide.com

LIGHT G TACKLE C • FLY Over 30 years experience in local waters • USCG Licensed Full / Half Day Trips • 941.387.8383 (H) • 941.232.8636 (C) www.captainwarren.com Facebook: Captain Warren

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26 n JuLy 10, 2019 n THE ISLANDER

isl

Flower business blooms

Felica Goett, center, prepares to cut the ribbon July 1 at her new business, Beach Blossoms, a fullservice florist at 2501 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach. She’s surrounded by friends and members of the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event. Islander Photo: Courtesy AMI chamber

biz

BY SANDY AMBROGI

July brings heat, new faces

Business blooms in Bradenton Beach Business is blooming in Bradenton Beach. Denver transplant Felica Goett opened the doors July 1 to Beach Blossoms, 2501 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach. The full-service florist sells bouquets, arrangements, houseplants and gifts. Delivery is offered on the island, as well as offisland — east to Bradenton and south to Casey Key. Goett worked in floral and event planning businesses in Denver. She also has a background in nonprofit work. “Boutonnieres, full wedding flowers, flowers for corporate events, centerpieces for dinners or parties, welcome baskets. I’m offering it all at Beach Blossoms,” she told The Islander July 1. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Also, appointments are welcome. For more information, contact the shop at 941-7782555 or vbeachflossomsfloralami@gmail.com. Go World Travel finds its way to AMI Anna Maria Island has more accolades. For more than 10 years, Go World Travel Magazine has published an online travel site with material based on visits to more than 90 countries. In June, Go World logged several days on Anna Maria Island. Its posts praised island sunsets, showed people riding horses in the surf on the Palma Sola Causeway and included a video of manatees frolicking in the

water at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria. The Go World team also sampled doughnuts at the Donut Experiment and paddled kayaks. And all enjoyed a good time. To see the posts, visit the magazine’s site on Facebook at Go World Travel Magazine. AMI chamber launches membership drive Sign up now for best benefits. Through Aug. 31, the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce is offering new member incentives, as well as incentives for current members to recruit businesses. Overnight stays at island resorts are part of the possible payout to chamber members who sign up new

recruits. The more members signed, the greater the opportunity to win prizes, including gift certificates. The grand prizewinner will receive a write up in the chamber newsletter and on the chamber Facebook page. New members will have the $25 administrative fee waived, extra presence at chamber headquarters in Holmes Beach, advertising specials in The Islander, entry in a drawing for a prorated second-year membership and more. For more information, call the chamber at 941779-1541 or go to info@amichamber.org. Stay busy, islanders. And cool.

Chamber membership continues to blossom

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce welcomed the following new members to its roster in June: • Bekins Moving Solutions, John Renkawitz, Sarasota. • Complete Care, Dr. Ian M. Kahane, Bradenton. • DryPro Inc., Adrian Tolentino, Sarasota. • Dynamic Electrical Contractors, Brian Burress,

Bradenton. • Horizon Public Adjusters, Lorie Molnar, Deerfield Beach. • The Sherwin-Williams Co., Jimmy Bonner, Bradenton. • The Waffle Press, David and Kellie Potter, Anna Maria. • Two Oceans Digital, Clint Barras, Key West. For information, call 941-778-1541.

LO C A L LY K N OW N . G LO B A L LY C O N N E C T E D.

C O R T E Z B E AC H 110 7th Street S Judy LaValliere & Deborah Nelson 941-504-3792 A4210751 $1,750,000

B R A D E N T O N B E AC H 1710 Gulf Drive N E Hannah Hillyard & George Myers 941-744-7358 A4215055 $1,749,000

TERR A CEIA 590 Bayshore Drive Cheryl Roberts & Debbie Vogler 941-266-1450 A4437024 $1,550,000

K E Y R OYA L E 605 Key Royale Drive Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4427418 $1,495,000

JEWFISH KEY 7140 La Lenaire Drive Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4426326 $1,395,000

HARBOUR LANDINGS 12518 Baypointe Terrace Laurie M Mock 941-232-3665 A4425873 $1,175,000

A N N A M A R I A B E AC H 111 Spring Avenue Debbie Capobianco 941-704-2394 A4421014 $1,100,000

H AW K S H A R B O R 7153 Hawks Harbor Circle Cheryl Roberts 941-266-1450 A4434661 $895,000

MARTINIQUE NORTH 5300 Gulf Drive 605 Nicole Ryskamp 941-807-1766 A4426664 $735,000

L O N G B OAT 4311 Gulf Of Mexico Drive 204 Sandi Layfield 941-914-2807 A4435114 $624,900

HARBOUR ISLE 371 Compass Point Drive 201 Susan Nemitz 941-237-0045 A4435630 $599,000

B AY PA L M S 503 70th Street Laura Rulon 941-896-2757 A4406584 $549,000

HARBOUR LANDINGS 12522 Harbour Landings Drive Ralph & Megg Faillace 941-713-9142 A4434327 $495,000

T I DY I S L A N D 10 Tidy Island Boulevard Kathy Marshall 941-900-9777 A4428392 $475,000

MARSHALL L ANDING 5490 56th Court East Tyler Hardy 941-201-4574 A4411520 $599,900

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THE ISLANDER n JuLy 10, 2019 n 27

Young entrepreneurs ﬁnd a niche

COMPILED BY SANDY AMBROGI

AMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Adriana Olivera, left, and Stella Johnson operate a lemonade stand June 30 at the corner of Gulf Drive and Chilson Avenue in Anna Maria. The enterprising youngsters, both from Lakeland, pulled in almost $80 in two hours with their roadside venture. Their goal? To purchase a skateboard. The kids were vacationing with their parents. Islander Photo: Sandy Ambrogi

Wednesday, July 10 7:45 a.m. — Early-riser breakfast, Ugly Grouper, 5704 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Members $10, guests $20. RSVP. Information: 941-778-1541, info@amichamber.org. Thursday, July 11 Noon — Lunch & Learn, the Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria. $10, RSVP. Wednesday, July 24 5 p.m.— Business mixer, Anna Maria Beach Resort, 6306 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Members $5, guests $10. AMI CHAMBER ONGOING Through Aug. 31 Membership drive. Incentives offered. Through Sept. 30 Nominations accepted for small business of the year award in four categories. LONGBOAT KEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Tuesday, July 16 11:30 a.m. — Networking@Noon, Cafe L’Europe, 431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota. Members $25, chamber walk-ins $30, guests $35. Information: 941-383-2644, info@lbkchamber.com. Tuesday, July 30 Does your business celebrate achievements? Maybe 5 p.m. — Business After Hours, Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the you’re new in business or your staff deserves kudos. Pier, 200 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach. Members $5, guests $10. Submit your information to news@islander.org.

Business news

EXPERIENCE REPUTATION RESULTS SALES/RENTALS Professional Service to Anna Maria Island Since 1974

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28 n JuLy 10, 2019 n THE ISLANDER

I S L A N D E R C L A S S I F I E D S

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AdoptA-Pet goRgeoUS giRL! Latte is a 3-year-old mixed-breed dog. She’s shy with people, and loves other dogs. Apply to adopt her at www.moonraceranimalrescue.com. Call Lisa Williams at 941-345-2441 or visit The Islander ofﬁce in Holmes Beach for more about pet adoption.

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